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donnabaskets

Does Limelight live up to its Advertising?

Donna
15 years ago

I was reading a gardening magazine this week and there was an ad for Limelight. It said that Limelight "blooms all summer". I have had it for about three years and it has never bloomed more than once in late summer. This ad makes me wonder if it would be happier in another spot. So, how does it do for you? Rebloom or not? If it does, please tell me the conditions under which you are growing it.

Comments (15)

  • luis_pr
    15 years ago

    They are referring to the fact that the original plant's blooms stay there for months throughout the summer not that it reblooms like an Endless Summer. Unclear yes but possibly legal if you stretch the meaning of the verb in the advertising. You could achieve the appearance of late blooms if you add H. paniculata Tardiva, which always blooms very late but its blooms will not look quite like Limelight's.

    Some macrophyllas that are not rebloomers will rebloom once the temperatures cool off in the Fall too. It does not happen like clockwork every year and any macrophylla though. For example, an unnamed pair of hydrangeas that the previous owner of my house placed in front of the main door tend to do that. This year, each plant has one set of new pink blooms to accompany all the other older blooms. The older blooms on the shrubs are green by now; must be envy? Hee hee hee. Have a great day, donnabaskets!

  • Gary M
    15 years ago

    I have a cart that I put Limelight hydrangeas and sell them in front of my house. About half of my customers come back for more Limelights. I grow them in full sun in pots all year with out protection.
    I would check to see how many hours of sun they are getting. They like at least 5 hours of full sun.

    Gary

  • luis_pr
    15 years ago

    While paniculatas love the sun in the northern states, Limelights in full sun will wash out their green blooms to white quicker. To maintain their immature blooms green longer, limit the exposure to direct sun (around 3 hours + or -).

    Gary - oh wow! planning to make it a business or keep it a hobby? I have a neighbor that sells plants in the Fall; she should be opening shop soon now that I think about it.

  • Gary M
    15 years ago

    Greetings Luis

    I always enjoy your posts. Lots of good information. I only sell Limelight, it helps support my plant buying habit. I dont know if I will enlarge my business. I bring the cart in when I want to go. I am a young retire so I may take off for days or a week at a time.

    Gary

  • ego45
    15 years ago

    Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' PP#12,874
    The propagation of, and or the sale of plant parts is prohibited without a license.

  • Gary M
    15 years ago

    Thanks Ego
    I purchased rooted cuttings with the patent tags. I sell grown plants with the same patent tags.

    Gary

  • ostrich
    15 years ago

    Oh yes! My limelight has been blooming its head off since July! It is still coming up with new blooms (though they are much smaller than the ones in the first flush). This shrub is amazingly vigorous and hardy! The only thing is that, after their initial lovely creamy/lime color, the blooms on my Limelight eventually turn brown, rather than the pink or mauve color that I was expecting. So some of them are looking a bit ugly to the point that I just had to cut them off. I don't know if it's because I have too much sun in its location (full sun). That said, it's already October! So what should I expect?

  • ego45
    15 years ago

    '... after their initial lovely creamy/lime color, the blooms on my Limelight eventually turn brown, rather than the pink or mauve color that I was expecting. '

    Four things may cause that: a) too much sun, b) overhead watering, c) combination of a)+b) and d)end of the season.

    Anyway, I have two groups of LL growing in part-shade (with emphasis on shade).
    One group, in Eastern exposure, never become pink and transitions from lime (in August) to brown (in November).
    Another group, in Western exposure, transitions from lime (late July) to light pink (October) to brown (November).

  • Donna
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Wow. Thanks,everyone. I have been absent this week (digging and dividing daylilies) and am amazed with this great response! I think, perhaps, I will leave my plant where it is.

    Luis, I think I know you from the Camellia forum? Can I assume that you use hydrangeas as companion plants for camellias? If so, got any recommendations? I am finally adding companions to my camellia border and was considering hydrangeas among other things.

  • edufrin
    15 years ago

    My limelight is in its first year in my full sun garden and it still has full blooms of rich green with slight mauve color on the edges. I fed it Miracle Grow all-purpose plant and flower food with a good dose of nitrogen in it once every week or two all summer. However, I didn't start getting the nice mauve color until I started planting bulbs and sprinkled a little extra blood meal around the base of the bush. Nitrogen works great to intensify the color of the plant. I'm very excited for more of these gorgeous blooms next year!

  • tulipsmiles
    15 years ago

    Question about Limelight...
    I bought 3 of these last year and planted them in August.
    I'm not sure how to care for them, this Spring.
    Should I cut them back by 1/3, like I read about. Or shall I not do that their first year? Is it correct that they grow on new wood?

    Also, I was going to give them some Hollytone as fertilizer. Do you think that is a good idea?

    One last thing... how large do they get? I read in one place, 6-8 feet tall and wide, and then read in another 3-4 feet, tall & wide. What have you folks seen regarding size?

    Thanks!

  • ostrich
    15 years ago

    tulipsmiles, how tall is your Limelight? If it is still small, you probably don't have to prune it. Also, pruning for Limelight is really optional, depending on your needs.

    Just to give you some idea, my Limelight was bought in a 3 gallon pot 2-3 years ago. By last summer, it was over 5 ft tall and wide without any prior pruning! So you see that it does get big... at least in my zone (5b/6a).

  • jess22081
    9 years ago

    I just planted my Limelights around 2-3 months ago. Now they are turning a bright pink.
    How do I get them back to their bright natural color? Could it be my soil?

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    9 years ago

    It has nothing to do with your soil and everything to do with the age of the flowers. Paniculatas go though a series of color changes - with Limelight the flowers emerge a bright chartreuse green, mature to a pure white and age to a rosy pink. You can't get them back to their original color.......it's just Ma Nature taking her natural course.

    btw, you will get more attention to your posts if you start your own rather than tacking on to the tail of one that is 6 years old. Many folks don't pay any attention to stale postings because of spam.

  • vasue VA
    9 years ago

    Jess, did you buy your plants in bud & bloom? Saw Limelights for sale here 2-3 months ago already coming into bloom ahead of their natural bloom season, probably greenhouse grown & possibly forced into bloom. If yours fall into this category, their blossoms will turn color earlier than otherwise, having begun earlier than they would in your garden.

    Indeed, no changing them backwards in their progression. Next year you can expect normal bloomtimes & color changes later in the season.